The Glade
by vaguelyodd
Summary: Willow is the first girl in the glade. No one knows why they sent her but she makes the most of it. A look into life in the Glade before Thomas arrives. Movie-Verse and book-verse. It's a good mix of both.
1. Chapter 1

I feel like someone had been strangling the life out of me yet there is no one there, just an iron grill and the deafening hum and whirring of machinery. I blink, my eyes slowly adjusting to the dimly lit room. I feel the room begin to move faster as I lurch forwards, my stomach feeling like it had been thrown into my throat; my fingers curled around the iron grill on the floor so tightly that the knuckles turned white. Cold blue strobe lights speed by illuminating the small room for a few seconds at a time. I start to hyperventilate and I can feel beads of perspiration forming on my face. The stale air makes my breathing labored and loud, and I cover my nose with my shirt but that doesn't help much. I crawl over to the pile of crates and barrels with the letters W.C.K.D stamped onto the side. A loose board on one of the crates catches my eye. Maybe something in there can help me. I dig my fingernails under the top of the piece, prying it away from the rest of the crate. With an audible crack the board breaks and a assortment of tools and whatnot fall out. I rummage through the small pile until I find a small dagger with a rough wooden handle that has a yellow stripe running horizontally across it. I sit back and run my hands over my arms and legs looking for any injuries. When I ran my hand over my right leg I cried out because a flash of hot searing pain shoots through it and I felt something jutting out right under my kneecap. The burning sensation of bile appeared in the back of my throat but I forced it back down, gagging as I did. The room abruptly stopped; the force of it throwing forward into the wall. My scream of pain pierced the air and my leg felt like it was on fire. The room has stopped moving completely now, the only sound is the wailing of an alarm. I pushed myself up with weak arms that felt like they were about to snap in half. Then, a small silver line that leaked shining light into the room appeared over my head and it kept getting wider until bright white light blinds me. My eyes began to adjust and I start to see blurry shapes through it . The shapes shifted into the faces of multiple boys -well teenagers really, peering down at me with their brows knitted in confusion. The sounds of their excited voices and strange words reached my ears.

" Who's the new Greenie?"

"Someone get Alby!"

"What the shuck? It's a girl!" His voice is excited yet scared at the same time. "Hurry! Go get Alby!"

"There's so much blood." One boy says with more than just a hint of disgust.

Then a softer voice in almost a whisper squeaked, "Look at her leg."

A heavy silence overcame the boys. Only one who's standing near the front with a stocky build and a angry face with arched eyebrows moved. He jumped down into the room, causing it to shake and rattle which made the pain in my leg flare up again. I could feel fat, salty tears rolling down my cheeks from the aching, burning agony.

Multiple boys simultaneously holler, "CAREFUL!" at the one who jumped down into the room.

His eyes narrowed in annoyance but he continues towards me. He soon stood over me, his mouth pressed into a thin line. He sucked in a sharp breath after taking a glance at my leg and his face paled at the sight. He shook his head as if trying to wipe away the image of it before he turns his eyes back toward me and greeted me with a simple

"Day one Greenie."

I turn away and hunch over, the small knife clutched tightly in my hand. When he places a gentle hand on my shoulder I stiffen up but don't do much else. I feel too faint and dizzy to move. He swiftly scoops me up like a small child. I peek out from over his shoulder and that's when I notice the blood. It was smeared around the room as a tell-tale sign of where I had been. My arms and legs dripping with the crimson liquid as well and the right leg had the sharp edge of a creamy white bone jutting out beneath the knee. I gasp and bury my head back into his shoulder. I find it hard to believe that all of that blood could possibly be mine. I should've passed out by now from the look of it. The boy passes me up to one of the others who is much skinnier. Muffled voices, swarming lights, and scared thoughts dance inside of my head while the boys stare at me like I'm some kind of animal. Sharp pain makes my head throb and darkness swirls in the corner of my vision. I glance at the face of the boy holding me; his deep brown eyes look down into mine with a comforting look before everything goes black.

I sit up with a groan. Where am I? My body felt like it had just gotten hit by a truck and my swollen leg was in a very crude splint that had two long pieces of wood on either side of the knee and the top and bottom of the sticks were tied with a rag. There was multiple stitches under the kneecap where the fracture used to be. I looked around to see that I was in a small tent with the opening held up by wooden support beams.

The tent was filled with different shelves and containers that had medical supplies piled up inside of them. There was two small cots, with me in one and the other was empty. Then I realize that my dagger is gone. The boys must of taken it.

"Hello?" I called.

When no one answered I hobbled over to the opening of the tent. It's pathetic, having to be disabled like this. What if I had gotten attacked when I got out of the elevator? I'd be dead, or worse. I stepped out into a large field that was surrounded on all sides by towering stone walls with a narrow opening in the center of each that had dark green ivy sprouting from different cracks. In one corner there was a thick clump of trees and other foliage that formed a small forest. The corner to the east of that had multiple pens filled with different animals such as rabbits and goats. The northwest corner had a cluster of smaller huts packed together with a hole behind them that had a door made out of pieces of cane tied together. The final corner had another larger building with smoke coming out of the top and a large older looking tree that had two levels with a small floor on each that were connected with a rickety ladder. There were other things like gardens that were full of healthy bright vegetables where I could see blurry figures moving about within, a few more small shacks and what not where more figures appeared to be building something, and a large abandoned fire pit. In the center of it all was the elevator that I had come up in. I continue towards the woods since I'd rather not have to talk to anyone and I can't leave this little town that the boys made because the walls. I wonder if there are any other girls here. I didn't see any. Maybe they'd be easier to talk to. I sit down under a large tree once I've gone deep enough into the woods and shut my eyes. Why in the world can't I remember anything about myself? There's an empty feeling inside of me that is only comparable to when you lose something close to you. A numb emptiness of some sort. A woman's voice inside my head keeps repeating the same phrase over and over,

 _Wicked is good._

It makes me curl up into a small ball and plug my ears. She just won't shut up. I snap my eyes open which quiets the voice to an echo that eventually dissolves into a peaceful silence. I stay curled up and just listen to the sounds of the woods. The sunlight that filters through the leaves dances across the forest floor in beautiful patterns and swirls. I wiggle my toes with a small giggle and suck in a deep breath. The comforting scent of fresh soil and leaves fills the air. For being stuck in a place with boys I don't know, having no memory of my past life, and having a busted leg this is pretty relaxing. I start to drift off but a loud yell jolts me awake. I scramble to my feet and hobble as fast as I can to the edge of the woods. From behind a tree I can see boys from all over the field running towards the tent where I had woken up. The ones who were already there were frantically searching for something, most likely me while two other boys were talking to a bald dark skinned boy who had his arms crossed and was shaking his head. I've got to find somewhere to hide. They may have fixed my leg but I still don't trust them. I try to walk as quietly as someone with a stupid splint on their leg could toward the edge of the forest where the least amount of boys were. I see a decent sized tree with a large hole by the base that could probably fit a larger dog. I crawl inside and push myself back as far away from the opening as I could. Grabbing handfuls of leaves and sticks I cover my skin that was showing and use my sweatshirt that was luckily brown, to cover the rest of me only leaving a small hole that I could just barely see out of. I can hear the boys yelling the word Greenie which I assumed is what they were going to call me since they didn't know my name either. But I stayed still. They soon started searching the woods; I peer out from under the jacket to see a boy with an apron made of tattered pieces of leather sewn together looking back and forth a couple feet away. He bends over and looks under the root of a tree that rose slightly off the ground, leaving a small space underneath. Like I'd be under there. It's way to obvious because my feet would've stuck out. He starts creeping towards my hiding place like he expected a rabid animal to jump out and attack him. I stiffen up and hold my breath as he nears me. He stands right in front of the opening before he slowly crouches down and looks in. It felt like time had stopped while I waited.

 _Please just get up and go. Please._

I squeeze my eyes shut and don't open them until I hear him leave. I don't see or hear anyone for what seems like forever and I almost got up but at that moment I heard leaves and sticks crunching beneath someones feet. The boy with brown eyes and honey blond hair walks over to where the one with the apron had been standing before.

"Greenie! I'm not here to hurt ya. It's only me right now so you can come out. I understand you're scared, I was too on my first day here but you need to come out. You're hurt and it's quite obvious you need to let it heal." He explains in voice with a thick accent.

I guess he makes a good point but I still want to be alone and that's not going to happen if they find me. The blond boy is joined by the one with funny eyebrows who carried me out of the elevator. He seems quite furious.

"Newt we gotta just give up. She'll come out on her own when she gets hungry and we shouldn't waste our time like this. Minho, Jeff, Ben, and Zart are guarding the doors. We know she's not going anywhere."

"Fine Gally. I still want people keeping an eye out for her. Let's go tell Alby."

The blond boy- Newt, walks away with Gally. The only sounds are their receding footsteps. A relieved breath escapes my lips once I'm absolutely sure that they're gone. I don't move from my spot still, mostly because I'm fairly comfortable like this. The air under the jacket is getting hard to breathe in so I make the hole a bit larger. Before I knew it the sun had drowned in the horizon, the sky a bright array of pinks, oranges and yellows. The pale moon soon began to peek out from behind the dim clouds and shining stars. I laid there in silence admiring the sky before I let the heaviness of sleep overtake me.


	2. Chapter 2

**I forgot to mention that this is my first fanfic and that appreciate you guys who liked it.**

 ***DISCLAIMER*** **All characters are owned by James Dashner except for my OC. Thank You!**

My mind is fuzzy, the last remnants of a dream being chased away by the realisation that I'm awake. I groaned from my sore back With a mental sigh I allow my brain to focus and cautiously opened one eye. A large stick is wedged under my back and with a grunt I yanked it out from under me and tossed it outside the tree. The bright sunlight cuts the ground in half and I see dust-motes dancing in the wall of light. Memories of yesterday come flooding back into my mind and I sit up with a start, my head slamming into the edge of the opening to the tree.

"Ow!"

I crawl out from my hiding space and stand up on wobbly legs, the leaves that were piled on top of me made their swirly journey back towards the ground. The leg with the splint feels really numb. I'm sure that can't be anything good. I reach back into the tree and pull out my leaf and stick covered jacket. It was such an ugly shade of brown, but it kept me warm and prevented the others from finding me so I suppose it was useful. Deciding that I've had enough time alone I limp back to the outer edge of the forest to go back to the tent that I woke up in originally. When I near the border that separates the woods from the rest of the large field I peer out at the area from behind a tree. The boys are milling around the building with the smoke having conversations while others leaned up against other buildings and even sprawled out on the ground, still half asleep. There seems to be fifty to sixty of them. I continue towards the tent unaware of anything but the sound of sticks and leaves crunching under my feet. A hand latches onto my shoulder and spins me around so that I was facing the individual it was attached to. With a shriek I swing my elbow so that it collides with their stomach. The boy hunches over with a groan and I stare at the mop of blond hair on his head with the sudden realization that it was Newt who I had hit.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know it was you! I mean I would've hit you anyways for scaring me but still."

"That bloody hurt you shank." He grunts in an accented voice.

"Sorry."

" Why are you even out here? We spent hours looking for you yesterday."

"I know. I saw you looking. The boy with the apron stood right in front of my hiding spot but he still didn't see me."

" We -well, Jeff and Clint fixed your leg! Why would you hide when we helped you?"

"I just needed to be alone so that I could process what was happening." I said.

"Fair enough. I'm Newt." He replied.

" I don't know my name. It's actually really annoying me."

"It's alright. Most of us don't know right away but it comes to us eventually. Let's go meet the others and get you some food. Sound good Greenie?"

"Sure. Why did you keep calling me Greenie?" I enquire with a puzzled look.

"It's what we call the newbies until they remember their real name. We've got our own vocabulary in the Glade." he says with a sweep of his arm motioning to the field. "I'll explain it to you later when we're taking the tour."

Newt begins to walk towards the other boys, taking long strides. I have to take the biggest steps I can to keep up with him. He glances at my injured leg before he says,

"Looks like you're going to have to go back to the Medjack tent to get that checked out. It looks almost healed but don't take my word for it. I'm not a doctor."

"How long was I out?"

" About a week." He nonchalantly replies.

"A WEEK! How in the world did-I don't… What?" I can barely process the information. What kind of drug did they give me! Or was I just sleepy?

Newt grins at my reaction before he picks up the pace. I start to do some kind of weird run that involved in taking lots of tiny leaps and jumps to match his speed. I give him a glare before he starts to slow down as we near the dark skinned bald boy.

"You found her?" The boy asks with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah. The shank elbowed me in the gut though."

The boy gives me a look before he turns back to Newt. "Where was she?"

"Wandering 'round the Deadheads. I'm not sure where she slept for the night but I do know that she used leaves to hide herself. That much is obvious." He flicks a leaf off my shoulder.

"The name's Alby. Do you know your's yet?"

I shake my head no before I look around, taking notice that the other boys have started to whisper to each other and point at me.

" You'll remember it soon enough. Welcome to the Glade Greenie, and you better accept it for what it is because it's gonna be your home until who knows when. We have three rules here. Never hurt another Glader. You have to trust each other. Never go outside the Glade unless you're a runner. And everyone does their part. No slackers. " Alby said, ticking off the rules on each finger.

That doesn't sound like a fun life.

Well I've gotta go. You know what to do Newt." Alby says as he walks away.

Newt leads me into the building with the smoke without another word. I take a seat at an almost empty table and he plops down right beside me. Gally is sitting right in front of me and he switches between glaring at me and at Newt before he finally says,

"You found her?"

"She was walking 'round the Deadheads. I caught her but the slinthead elbowed me in the gut first."

"Hmph."

I stare at his face, studying it. The small freckles that were spattered across the tip of his nose, the ends of his hair that split into smaller strands from there, and his tired and angry eyes glaring right into mine.

"Watcha' lookin at Greenie?" he snarled in a rough voice that was still tinged with sleepiness.

I quickly glance away and stare at the patterns of the unsanded wood in the table, pretending to study them. I could still feel his eyes on the back of my head so I moved my focus over to Newt to try and distract myself.

"So who makes the food here?"

"Frypan does. He's the best chef here which is why he's Keeper of the Cooks. Right now he's making breakfast which I'm sure will be done any second now." Newt explains.

As if on cue the boy with the apron plopped down onto the seat on the other side of me and pushed a plate with a loaf of bread and different mixed fruit towards me.

"Why don't you start with this. Just incase you get a bit sick to the stomach like other Greenies do when they first arrive."

I nod in acknowledgment and start to nibble on the bread while Newt explains how he found me to Frypan. Frypan got up to serve breakfast to the others after a couple minutes of talking. I continued eating while Newt explained what was going on. He talked about the different jobs, the walls, and the rules of the Glade. I just kept nodding. Once breakfast was over we walked all over the Glade while Newt showed me the different places in their small town.

"What's that elevator thing that I came up in?"

"That's the Box. It comes up with supplies once a week and a new Greenie once a month, and don't bother asking, it doesn't go back down with us in it. We tried." He explains.

"So what's behind the walls?" I curiously ask.

"The maze. Don't go out there, ever. The only people who are allowed to are Runners. Do ya' understand?"

"Of course. What's in there that's so scary?"

"These creatures called Grievers, no one has seen one and lived."

"Oh. So... what job do think I'll get?"

"You're asking quite a lot of questions Greenie, and I don't know. It all depends on which one you are the best at when you spend the day working with them. Speaking of which, your first job will be working with the Slicers. Winstons a creepy shank but he pretty much alright otherwise. But first I've got to get you to the Medjack hut."

We stop outside the tent that I woke up in where a short light skinned boy and a tall darker skinned boy, presumably Jeff and Clint, stood side by side. Newt repeats the story of how he found me for the fourth time before Clint and Jeff took me inside. I sat down on the edge of the cot that I woke up in and stared at my faded boots. The laces strained against the eyelets in an attempt to keep them together. Several parts of them were frayed and worn, the soles were thick and sturdy but had that well used feel to them. I must of liked these boots a lot before I was sent up here, I mean, I still like them now. Jeff, who was the taller one, kneeled down by my feet and asked me to hold out my leg and started to press on different areas of it.

"Does this hurt?" he asked as he pushed his thumb down on the area right underneath my knee. I shook my head no. We did this for about another minute until he leaned back on the balls of his heels and grinned.

"I think it's safe to say your leg is healing quite nicely and by the end of next week you should be healed enough to take that stupid piece of klunk off your leg. Clint'll give ya' a basic check to make sure everything else is fine, then you can go start your job. Sound good Greenie?"

I gave him a blank stare instead of responding. It feels a lot easier to talk to Newt rather than anyone else for some reason. It's most likely because he's been alone with me twice so that I could just focus on him instead of six different people staring at me while I talked, and he's comforted me which is something no one else here has done for the most part. He just raises an eyebrow and says,

"A quiet one eh? I coulda sworn you were talkin poor Newt heres head off while he was givin ya' the tour."

I shrugged my shoulders in response. Jeff stood up and shook his head,

"Whatever you say, or don't say actually."

I jumped a little when I turned to the left and saw Clint standing there with an expressionless face. In one hand he held a small glass jar that was filled with a white cream and in the other he held a box of bandaids. He set them down beside me and motioned for me to hold out my arm. Then, he opened the jar and started to put small dollops of the white cream to different red spots on my arm, and put the bandages over them. The whole room was filled with an awkward silence while he completed the process. What was he doing? He could be applying some kind of poison creme to my arm right now and I wouldn't know until it was too late. Was this guy a mute? Actually no. He's probably just not one for talking, or he's still kinda weirded out from the fact that I was a girl. Once he had finished I slid off of the cot and started to walk out of the room. Newt turned and followed me out.

"So why wouldn't you talk to Jeff earlier? Are you scared of him or somethin?"

I just shrugged my shoulders once again. Newt leads me into the Slicers hut where I was greeted by a boy covered in acne, wielding a sharp knife that was about as long as my forearm with a grin.

"Is this the Greenie?" He says.

"Yup. She's gonna work with you first and if she can't handle it then send her to the builders next." Newt turns to me, "Not that you can't handle it, but most people can't stomach this job. It is kinda' gross I guess I'll see ya' at lunch. We can get your sleeping situation figured out later. Don't go runnin off again like a bleedin idiot. Okay?"

And with that, he left.

With a worried glance I look back over to Winston. I notice a table covered in blood stains behind him. A lump of pink flesh with a pool of crimson blood gathered under it sat atop the table along with many knives of all sizes.

This was not going to be fun.


	3. Chapter 3

Working with the slicers wasn't as bad as everyone seems to treat it. It sure as heck wasn't the best job ever but it definitely wasn't the worst one either. When I accidentally hit a vein in the piece of rabbit that I was cutting wasn't great for sure. My arms are stained up to the elbow with blood and my light green shirt had a small spray of it across the front. Winston, the Keeper of the Slicers, said that most Greenies didn't make as large of a mess as I did when working with him. Then again, most didn't make it as far as I did. Besides, an accomplishment is an accomplishment whether it's a large or impressive one. So when he said that, a small feeling of pride swelled up in my chest. I started to rinse off the knives with the water spout outside when I saw Winston's dirt covered sneakers by my side. I stood up and faced him,

"Yes?"

"You should probably wash off and ask for a new shirt before lunch. Someone's gonna' get sick looking at you. A lot of the shanks here have such a shucking weak stomach."

I shrug my shoulders,

"I can rinse off with this spout but I have no way of knowing if there's any extra clothes for me right now. Besides I don't want to be a bother. What's a little blood going to do?"

"I guess you're right." Winston says.

I squat down and scrub my arms under the cold water until the blood is gone for the most part. I heard a loud clanging noise from over by the kitchen and when I look up to see what it is. Frypan was banging two pots together and shouting something. What is the point of yelling when no one can hear you over the sound of the pots banging together? I shake my head in disbelief at the silliness of some people. I head over to the kitchens, assuming that the reason why Frypan was making all that noise was to let everyone know that lunch was ready. Keeping an eye out for Newt, I grabbed a paper plate with a sandwich and apple from one of the many on the tables and headed over to the large tree with platforms and a rickety rope ladder to eat my lunch. I bit the edge of my plate with my teeth so that I could use both hands for climbing because that ladder did not look in the least bit safe. When I got up past the first rung, the apple slid forward and hit me in the nose.

"Ow!" I exclaimed through my clenched teeth.

In a thickly accented voice I heard from behind me, " You sure there isn't an easier way to do that?"

Instead of responding, I just smiled and kept on climbing. Once I got to the top, with quite a bit of difficulty of course, I placed my set my plate down and turned around to look at Newt.

"I'm sure there's many easier ways to do that but I was going with the first idea that I came up with."

I laid down flat on my stomach and stretched out over the ledge, reaching to grab his plate from him.

"Be careful Greenie." He said with a grin but just the slightest bit of worry flitting across his a grunt, I leaned over just a bit further and took his plate.

"There." I said while sitting up. "Now you can climb up without all that hassle."

I moved over to the trunk of the tree that was in the middle of the platform and leaned up against it, food in hand. Newt plopped down next to me with a lopsided grin,

"How was working with the Slicers? Gross and terrifying?"

"It was actually ok. I got a crap ton of blood all over myself but other than that, it was pretty chill. I definitely do not want it as my job though."

"Well for the rest of today you're going to be with the Sloppers so prepare yourself."

"You're seriously giving me what seems to be the worst jobs in the entire Glade on the same day? Wow, you guys don't play around."

"It'll be slightly better tomorrow. You get to work with the builders and with me in the gardens!" Newt exclaimed.

"Sure." I responded and took another bite of my sandwich.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. I remained unfocused during the entire time that I was working with the Sloppers. Mainly because I was too busy thinking about everything that happened today. I guess it took awhile for me to finally realize that I was stuck here. Or at least until we got out or died, both of which would most likely take a while. Why would anyone want to put a bunch of teenagers in a giant maze with no way out? Wouldn't it be illegal? And if it was, wouldn't someone be looking for thirty or more kids who most likely just disappeared into thin air? There just doesn't seem to be any possible explanation for it all. Plus, it's so frustrating not being able to remember anything about myself. Everyone seems to, at the very least, remember their names. Why can't I remember mine? My thoughts plagued my mind for the rest of the afternoon until dinner time. I suppose that isn't such a bad thing considering the job that I had. When I heard the loud clanging of pots from the kitchen, I dropped the brush that I was using to clean the dirty shower floors in the bath house, and hurried over to the kitchens before anyone could tell me to do anything else. This time I decided to eat at the wooden picnic tables just outside the kitchen. A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth when I heard Newts already familiar voice by my side,

"So how was working with the Slicers, Greenie?"

"Eh." I shrugged my shoulders and continued to eat my rice and beans.

"That's all? Thought you would complain more." Newt chuckled.

"I'm too hungry to bother. Otherwise I would."

"Fair enough."

We ate in silence for a couple minutes until Newt broke it by saying,

"Tonight we're gonna' have a bonfire for you. We have one after every Greenies first full day here but you were being sleeping beauty for a week, so we had to put it off for a while."

"Cool." I responded.

"You aren't saying much. Are you alright Greenie?"

"I'm fine, Newt. I just am kinda of worn out from my first full day working after being "sleeping beauty for a week," as you put it." I snapped

"Stop being a buggin' grouch Greenie. Don't you think we're tired too?"

I got up and dropped my empty bowl into the sinks that were full of bubbly water in the back of the kitchen. I guess Newt was right. I have no reason to be complaining because I'm stuck here just like everyone else. I have to work all day just like everyone else as well. I should apologize at the bonfire later. It looked like I was the first one done and seeing as work was over, I decided to try and explore a bit more. Maybe I would even find the hollowed out tree trunk where I hid last night. I could feel the other Gladers eyes on my back while I walked toward the woods. I can understand why they'd be cautious of me. I am the first girl here and the first one they've seen in awhile. I'm sure they're still worried that I might try to run off again. That's not what I had in mind for this time though. All I wanted to do is wander.

"Where do you think you're going Greenie? I hear from behind me.

I look behind me and I see that Gally and two other builders were standing behind me. Gally had this mean smirk on his face that made him look like he wanted to hurt someone. His hands were on his hips and the other two boys seemed to mimic his attitude with their poses as well.

"Walk" I responded in a monotone voice.

"Walk to where?"

"Woods."

"Why?"

"Because."

"Stop giving me short one word answers Greenie!. You're always yapping Newt's head off so I know you can talk just fine."

"Eh."

Gally groaned and pinched his nose. "You know what Greenie, you can't go on a walk by yourself, Ok? After you ran away the first time, Nick asked us to keep a close eye on you to make sure you don't do it again."

"Nope" I could feel a large smile starting to spread across my face so I bite my bottom lip because I don't want to ruin my stubbornness with laughter.

"Fine! Go run off! Go into the Maze and get eaten by a shukin' Griever for all I care!" Gally yelled, his face turning red from frustration.

I ran into the woods and burst out laughing once I stop to rest against a tree. I sat on the damp ground, staring up at the sky while I caught my breath. I wonder what the bonfire will be like.

.


	4. Chapter 4

It was now night and the bonfire cast a warm glow over everything. All the Gladers were happily talking and dancing while others wrestled in a ring. Gally seemed to easily beat every boy that went up against him. I sat by myself on a old log a little further back from the party. Newt seemed happy talking to his friends so I left him be and everyone else was too busy with the other Gladers. When Newt said that he was going to talk to his friends. I wanted to ask him if he could just sit with me for a while longer and we could talk and I wouldn't be lonely. I just said ok. I felt thirsty but I didn't want to drink whatever was in those glass jars that kinda looked like piss. But I also didn't want to inconvenience anyone by asking for something else. I guess that I'll just have to make it until morning without water. The tips of my shoes trace out shapes in the dry dirt , crushing some small seedlings and dried out grass in the process. How am I supposed to be friends with the Gladers when they all seem busy with their own lives? Will I just fade into the background after the excitement of a girl in the Glade dies away? I should try to make friends but the idea of going up and talking to them seems too hard to do. I don't need to be making myself depressed and anxious. I shake my head like that would clear out all my thoughts and focus on the boys wrestling. Gally was fighting a boy with black hair and tan skin that everyone seemed to be rooting for. The black haired boy glanced over at me and Gally used that moment of distraction to his advantage and threw him to the ground. Soon it grows late and everyone starts to clean up and head to bed. I wasn't yet tired after being in what I suppose was a coma for so long. Newt, along with everyone else, seemed too tipsy and tired to care about the "Greenie" who had faded into the background during the party. When the fire was extinguished and everyone had gone to bed, completely forgetting me, I pulled my jacket around myself a little bit tighter and headed off towards where I thought my hollowed out tree was.

. . .

I woke up to Newt shaking me.

"Greenie. Greenie! Wake up you shank! You're gonna' miss breakfast!"

"Huh?" I grumbled, my eyes still heavy with sleep and my body sore from laying on the hard ground with nothing but my jacket to keep me warm.

"Come on!" He started to walk away and I stare at his retreating figure, still confused until it finally hit me that I was about to miss breakfast.

I scrambled to my feet and chase after him. I punch him in the arm when I catch up and say " That's for leaving me by myself last night you ass." before I pull ahead and speed hobble to the kitchen. I need to get rid of this splint already.

The room was full of people. I awkwardly stood in the doorway as if they all started to stare at me when I entered even though not one lifted their head. I saw Newt standing to my side with an impatient look on his face out of the corner of my eye. I step aside to let him pass and closely follow him so that I looked like I belong. I grab my breakfast with a whisper of a 'thank you' to Frypan and sit at the base of the tree fort. When I see Newt walking towards me with his breakfast I feel my heart do a little leap inside my chest. What was that? I don't like him like that. Actually, I barely know the dude so I don't see how I could've already formed an emotional attachment to him. He doesn't sit beside me and he doesn't have his breakfast in his hands.

"Sorry for leaving you alone after the bonfire last night. I just got distracted and drank a little bit too much of Gallys secret recipe."

So that's what was inside the jars.

"It's ok. You shouldn't have to be by my side twenty four seven anyways. " I say even though I felt almost the exact opposite. He shouldn't have to follow me everywhere but it'd be nice knowing that I have a friend in a giant maze full of boys and monsters with no memories of myself.

"I'm going to eat with Alby, Nick, and the other keepers. Sorry for ditching you again but I need to make sure everything is still going smoothly. Plus some of them need convincing that you'll be able to do your part in the Glade. you know where to go after breakfast right?"

I nod my head, sad that I would be alone again but kind of curious about who Nick was. Gally talked about him when he tried to stop me from wandering away but I still have no idea who he is. When I looked at the table I saw Gally, Alby, and the black haired boy, but I didn't recognize anyone else. Newt walked away after getting no more responses from me and I started to eat my breakfast. I wonder if he was only being super nice and eating with me because he felt bad. Maybe I should ask. I reprimanded myself. I'm not his problem and besides, my feelings are stupid and cheesy ones that I should stop focusing on. No one cares. I feel angry at myself for thinking about bothering people like that. I'm so dumb. He apologized for leaving me alone last night anyways so I should be fine. Right? Everyone started getting up a little bit later so I shoved a couple more bites into my mouth and threw away the rest of my food. I followed the large group of boys until they split off, each one heading to his own job. It was then that I realize that I didn't know where the builders worked. I spun around looking for Newt while my breath quickened and the world around me started to blur together. I could feel tears gathering in my eyes and my lungs starting to feel like they had no more air. My stomach felt like a billion butterflies had tried to take off but could only go in small circles because they were trapped. Just like me. I'm stuck inside this maze with people who I don't know and who most likely hate me. I'm never going to get out and… and-

"Are you alright Greenie?" I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and Newts comforting voice behind me.

"Yeah. Yeah. I'm fine. I'm good." I said even though it felt more like I was trying to convince myself about that rather than talking to Newt.

"You seemed a little bit freaked out. If you want help finding the builder's hut just ask. I'm always here if you need me."

My breathing steadied a bit more after hearing that. As if he said 'It's going to be ok. _You'll_ be ok." instead. I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my jacket.

"Thanks. I'm just feeling a little bit overwhelmed from everything that's been happening lately." I do a fake laugh so that he doesn't worry too much. "It also would be nice if you told me where the builder's hut is. I got a little ahead of myself, thinking that I knew where I was going."

"Come on."

I walk as closely to him as I can without actually touching him. Our arms brush against each others and our steps are in perfect time. If I want to survive and show these boys that I can handle myself, I better stop being such baby, and soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Working with the builders went as expected. I was way too weak to carry anything heavy, even if I didn't have the splint I'm sure it'd be the same. Gally was already sick of me by my fifth mistake. I had accidently hit my thumb with the hammer, I had dropped a box full of supplies that spilled everywhere, and much more. Luckily I didn't hit it hard enough to break anything so I just had to get a bandage and some ice for it. It was still painfully throbbing by the end of the day. Most of the builders ignored the fact that I was terrible at this job but some audibly groaned when I messed up. Working with the Trackhoes was boring. The kind of boring where you just want to do something, anything, to not be bored anymore. Even something as drastic as smacking someone in the face and running. It was hard to sit on my knees to pull weeds because the wooden part of my splint kept on digging into my leg. Hopefully I would be able to get it taken off soon because I need to be able to take care of myself. I can't rely on the Gladers to keep me alive. I couldn't help but to stare at Newt every once in awhile because everytime that I looked at him, I noticed something new. Like the fact that his hair was super fluffy, the way he stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth when he tried to pull an especially stubborn weed, and that he had a limp. I don't know how I didn't notice his limp before, but I wonder how he got it. It was blistering hot outside and as I worked I could feel the sun's angry heat beating down on my back. I felt like laying down in a bucket of ice in nothing but my underwear. It was the kind of day where perspiration beaded on my forehead and trickled down my face even while I was standing still. A glance down the row of plants and everything looked surreal; people were turning fluid as they entered a heat wave someone could only discern from a distance. I knew, had they bothered to look at me, my body would have looked the same to them - all wavy and such. There was no breeze to disturb the sun's relentless, burning attack and the air smelled of sweat and moist soil. The day passed without any excitement, luckily for me because I was far too worn out from everything else. When night came Newt offered me a room in the homestead, the old house that had been there when the first Gladers arrived. I turned it down because I kinda liked my hollowed out tree. It was becoming my safe place - my sanctuary in this frightening maze, even if that sounds cheesy. So instead he just gave me a blanket that was warm and well used by the looks of it and a squashed pillow. He told me to clean myself before I went to bed because I looked and smelled (which he meant in no offense to me) terrible. He offered to stand in front of the bathroom door so that no one could get in and I gladly accepted. There was no mirror in the bathroom, just the basic appliances. I stripped and stepped into the shower that must of been white at one point in it's existence but wasn't anymore. When the first drop of water hit my skin, I could feel myself relax. It warmed me and I closed my eyes and tilted my head back letting the water run all over my body. I'm sure I just made the shower ten times dirtier but I didn't care. I didn't care about anything. It was like all of my problems, the Maze, my memory, loneliness, all disappeared down the drain like the dirt on my body. I hadn't felt sad at all today and I still don't know why I was so emotional yesterday. I am not a baby so I'm glad that I was able to stop acting like one. I can be such an idiot sometimes. A sharp rap on the door brought me back to reality.

"You almost done? We only have so much water."

"Yeah! Just gotta rinse." I lied.

I washed my hair and body as quickly as I could and turned the shower off. I dried off and got dressed in the loose pants and T-shirt that Newt was able to find in the box of extra clothes and ran my fingers through my curly, shoulder length hair in an attempt to tame it. This hair is going to be a problem here, I can already tell. I decide to ask Newt for my knife back later.

" Any problems?" I ask when I step outside.

"A couple people were annoyed that they couldn't shower but they otherwise did pretty good for being a bunch of bloody teenage boys." he said with a smirk on his face.

"Thanks. Where do I put this?" I asked, lifting up my damp towel.

He motioned to the room down the hall and I nodded my head thanks. Inside was Gally. He was just calmly sitting on top of the dryer in the dimly lit room. I cautiously stepped inside but he just kept on staring at the floor. The only noise was the slow rump-rump of the washing machine. I went to drop my towel off in the laundry basket by his side but his hand shot out and clamped down hard on my arm. His sharp fingernails were digging into my skin and I could already tell that if he squeezed my arm any tighter, the skin would break.

"Hey! Leggo' of me. Dude!"

He looked up and his angry eyes met mine. He slowly shook his head back and forth while muttering something.

"Are you even listening? Let. My. Arm. Go."

" I know that you shouldn't be here. You never were supposed to be. You're a mistake. They were supposed to send you to the city. You're CRAZY. You almost messed up the variables and got people killed. Watch yourself kid." He growled.

" What are you even talking about? And I'm your age so chill with that "kid" thing. Now let me go." I hissed.

His hand dropped to his side and I got out of there as fast as I could. What did he mean? I didn't kill anyone, I don't think that I could be capable of that. I knew that he was hot tempered but I didn't know that he was crazy too. My arm had bright red fingernail marks that were extremely noticeable. Maybe I could go to the Med Jacks tent when everyone is sleeping and patch it up. At least it wasn't a bite mark, those are liable to get an infection. I better keep a close eye on Gally from now on.

"Are you ok Greenie? I thought I heard yelling and you seemed a bit excited to get out of there." Newt asked with a slightly worried look.

"Yeah. Maybe you just heard the washing machine."

"That's not what a washing mach-"

"It's late. You were probably just hearing things." I quickly said. I nervously glanced back at the door before saying goodnight to Newt and heading to my tree with a pillow and blanket already waiting inside for me.


	6. AUTHORS NOTE

**I'm really sorry about the quality of my work. I know it's not the best I can do so I'm going to edit the chapters to see what I can do about it. When I upload the sixth chapter all the other ones should be re-updated so I would recommend reading them again when you see that. Once again, realllllly sorry!**


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